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Surprise, surprise. Plus it's Florida. I thought it might be somewhere in Africa, where christianity is spreading like a virus, and people are torturing/killing children on account of them being "witches."

Of course, psychotic people will always do psychotic things for any excuse, but the bible just seems to hasten the process.

Well, the Bible, if studied impartially, has some good poetry, at least in King James (ironically, a lgbtq person, incidentally), but anyone sane reading most if not all of the O.T. -- that is, anyone rational -- would have to conclude that this Jehovah or Yahweh or Whoever -- is wicked, capricious, homicidal, arbitrary, indecisive, hypocritical, and impotent. Then the question arises: Why are you believing in Him?

Like every new lawyer fresh on the beat, I was early on assigned to do "mentals" for the county courts. More than once did one of my clients, facing commitment to an institution on petition of an 'interested party," exhibit obsessive-compulsive ideation about religious matters, including African-American youth who thought Stevie Wonder had stolen all of his songs and insisted that some personal injury lawyers were handling the matter and that he would soon become a millionaire. A few years later, out of the institution, he jumped off a high bridge and fell to his death in the ship channel below. I also witnessed during a local bus trip through the city of Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, a small boy who crossed himself at every intersection -- hey, why not, it was a cross roads -- and exhibited obsessive-compulsive behavior, anticipating the next corner and sometimes crossing himself twice, leading one to the conclusion that a cathedral was located somewhere nearby. What Dawkins called "the God Delusion" can sometimes degenerate into psychosis.

James, Rational and Irratonal Minds illustrate why religion is so toxic. submits to authority, values seeking morality outside one's own ways of knowing, uses denial of reality and feelings, encourages dependence, enables slave mentality, sanctions use of the amygdala without learning to think in the reasoning part of the brain.

Well, we all know what the 'true believing' homophobic bibble thumpers will say about this. This wasn't because of christianity. After all, LGBTs and churches that cater to them are not real christians. It's obvious why she killed the child. It's because she's gay. Yet, one more example of the gay agenda destroying good, American, christian, family values. Accoring to them, just because the bibble glorifies human sacrifice (Noah story, Abraham, Jephthah and Jesus), doesn't mean the bibble glorifies human sacrifice.

The horrific story of the binding of Isaac (or Ishmael, in the Muslim version) describes a test that Abraham actually failed. (Also failing: any god who'd make such a demand!)

Omri Boehm suggested, based on studies of the text, that an earlier version of the story had Abraham ultimately refusing to murder his son, and substituting the ram, on his own initiative. The angel intervening was evidently inserted later, together with Abraham being blessed for his extraordinary unthinking obedience.

Richard Dawkins wrote, in The God Delusion: "A modern moralist cannot help but wonder how a child could ever recover from such psychological trauma. By the standards of modern morality, this disgraceful story is an example simultaneously of child abuse, bullying in two asymmetrical power relationships, and the first recorded use of the Nuremberg defence: 'I was only obeying orders.' Yet the legend is one of the great foundational myths of all three monotheistic religions."

I'm almost reminded here of the Sodom and Gomorrah myth where Abraham learned in advance of what was to happen as recorded in Genesis 18. The lord was asked if he would spare the cities if 50 righteous men were found living there, and eventually they got down lower like 10 righteous men. Finally the lord said "it's priced at $20 but for you, just $19.95." See, you can make deals with god! So, Abraham set it up for Lot and his family to be saved even though Lot offered his 2 daughters to the vile men of the area instead of them having sex with the angels. God knew better. He told Lot "I'm saving those 2 girls for you for later." Ahh, the rewards of relgion.

Can't anyone see that this type of shit is fairey tales and myths? Anyone at all?